The gripping stories in this anthology – some true and some fictional – make for fascinating reading, more so for persons with disabilities and their loved ones. If society has not learnt to embrace persons who suffer from a condition that is no fault of theirs, this book should nudge anyone with a conscience in that direction. Reading about personal journeys, it is not difficult to empathise. Medical science has not progressed to a stage where the ailment can be completely rooted out but with medicines and proper care, it is possible to lead a normal life. That’s a point that every story here makes with clarity and simplicity – and so do the poems, with wit and brevity. The book explores every dimension of the psychological spectrum: disbelief, denial, secretiveness, alienation, bafflement at society’s callous rejections, depression, hope, guts, grit and finally, the happiness at finding a mental equilibrium and the satisfaction of helping others in similar plights. There is romance as well as sexual exploitation, marital discord as well as parents’ silent suffering and eventually the resilience of the human spirit. \n